Robins

[Plocket]

I think we have babies! I've seen the robins about a lot in the last couple of days, and sometimes they remove small white things from the nest - I've assumed these are poo-parcels (I don't know the technical term!) and wonder if someone could confirm this for me? If they are removing poo-parcels surely this means we have babies?

Also the robins seem to be testing out short distances, as if they are planning short flight routes for the fledgelings.

I'm SO excited! ;D

[Amo]

Wow, I'm so pleased for you Plo!! LP must be over the moon!! What a great thing for her to watch.

My Great Tits don't seem to have shown any more interst iin the new box yet.

[Amo]

(PS, why do I have this dread of writting Great Tits?? I think I'm going to look at the advertising banner and see something I don't want to!! )

[Deleted]

[Plocket]

I've got Great Tits - in the garden! ;D

There's lots of squeeking in the garden but I can't see what's making the noises. Do baby robins squeek?

[snowowl]

Yep you are right P they are poo sacs you defo have little baby robins congratulations and good luck to the fledglings.

[Plocket]

Oh thank you for the confirmation Snowy! I do hope we'll see them before they leave

[JennyWrenn]

Oh lovely for you Plocket - get the camera ready ;D

[farmersboy]

Apr 5, 2008 15:00:16 GMT Plocket said:

I've got Great Tits -

?

Alright,you dont have to shout about it ;D

[Chuckles]

Thats brilliant news P I'm really pleased. So is it the GT's that are doing the squeeking.

Not checked on my Robin in the shed for a few days. She should be sitting on the nest now but I can't see without going on tip toe and right up close. I don't want to frighten her so I'm going to try and rig up a mirror on a brush handle or simliar so I can lsee in the nest. Hopefully when she's not sitting I can then get photo's.

[Plocket]

I don't know what's doing the squeeking but it's near to the nest. I suppose it could be other babies in the conifer next to the eucalyptus.

The robins have been busy this morning in the snow:

[Ruthie]

I hope you see the babies when they fledge Plocket. We call them bandits 'cos they look as if they're wearing masks!! Please keep any cats away if you can tho'. Mine can be a right Bas**rd among newly fledged birds.

[Jasmine]

Oh Plocket - I hope you get to see the fledglings leave their nest. We have had Blue Tits 2 years running and have watched them fly to and fro endlessly with food for their babies (and deal with the poo) but have never seen the babies make their first flight. I would love one of those boxes with a built in camera!

[JennyWrenn]

One day I aim to get one of those Jas - what a treat to sit and watch the ickle babies being fed and then getting ready to leave the nest

That way you can be ready with the camera

[Plocket]

Well Poppy is no longer with us which is why I didn't try and deter the robins from nesting in our garden. And we've only had one cat visit us since Christmas - he hasn't been back since I shooed him away!!

Unfortunately I have a feeling the babies will leave the nest early in the morning. In which case I'll miss them probably. The camera is in the kitchen ready though, just in case I see any. As I don't know when they were born I don't really have any idea when they might leave the nest either.

They are wonderful boxes aren't they? Perhaps one day!

I told LP about the robins removing the poo-parcels and she thought it was hysterical, especially as they took the poo right out of our garden!! She likes the idea that they aren't messing up our garden! ;D

[Chuckles]

Hope your Robin family is doing well P. I've not managed to get any pics of mine unfortunatley I tried to look using a mirror but she was on the nest and bombarded me made me jump I can tell you. Anyhow, she is still sitting so I've not frightened her away thankfully

[Plocket]

They are still feeding the babies but I haven't seen them. I think the parents must be getting ready for the babies to leave the nest because they used to be ok with me being in the garden, but they get very noisy when I go out now! They aren't being quite so agressive with other birds now though - perhaps they don't feel so threatened by them now that their babies are a bit older.

[torontotrini]

Apr 5, 2008 16:16:36 GMT snowowl said:

Yep you are right P they are poo sacs you defo have little baby robins congratulations and good luck to the fledglings.

Well, you certainly ought to know snowowl. Have any of your robins come back this year? I have quite a few robins around, and there is one in particular I'm pretty sure he/she has been coming back since we moved here about 4 years ago (there's a particular way his/her wing hangs and he/she seems quite comfortable with me getting fairly close), but I've never seen where he/she builds his/her nest. I'm thinking of putting up a nesting box but I'm afraid the cats will get at it. I no longer let my cats out during the "season" but there are a couple of neighbourhood cats that drop by every now and then.

Hi FA. Hope you see this. I didn't get a chance to respond to your "hello" on the other board before they closed that thread. Hope all is well with you.

Hi Plocket. I'm looking for a "hardy enough" compact fragrant clem (about 4ft) to put on an obelisk. Any suggestions?

[Plocket]

Hia TT! How are you? Long time no see - I trust you are well?

I'm going to drag you over to the clematis thread if you don't mind: gardenworld.proboards103.com/index.cgi?board=borders&action=display&thread=4772&page=15

[snowowl]

Hello TT nice to hear from you.Sadly i didnt get any birds nesting in my garden this year i was hopeing the robins would use the box again.
They are around they come to my feeders daily maybe next year they will come back it was so exciting last spring when they did raise 4 healthy babies but also i was worried about next doors cat but all ended well.

[Plocket]

I've only been seeing one robin for the last couple of days so I can't help thinking that the babies have flown the nest. Or worse - there were two magpies in the garden yesterday - and we never get magpies in our garden. Anyway this afternoon I had a quick peek in the nest and it's empty. I hope the little fledgelings have safely flown the nest.

[snowowl]

If they have P they will not have gone far.You should hear a loud high pitched squeaking that will be the babys the parents will still be feeding them for a while and will know were each one is.

[Plocket]

Oooo I heard squeeking a couple of days ago so that's positive - thanks Snowy!

I had a careful watch this evening and one of the robins is taking food from the feeder to somewhere beyond the garden so he's definately feeding something. I would have liked to know how many babies they had, and see them, but hey ho!

I wonder if they will lay again - apparently robins do that

[Amo]

Go and splash out on one of those boxes with the camera in!

I saw a fledgling being fed the other day, you know, the funny feed me flutter they do. I know it's mid April but they seemed to have done it quickly this year. Anyone know if they have more than one brood? I know blackbirds will.

[Plocket]

I can't afford a camera box and knowing my luck they'll nest in the tree again, and not the box. As long as I hear them squeeking at the parents I'll be happy

[Chuckles]

Any sign of the babies out and about P. Not sure what mine are up to, can't get to look in the nest but mum and dad are still about

[Plocket]

No I've not seen them Chuckles, but one of the robins is still visiting the garden regularly, and taking food away. I want to go and look at the nest but have read that sometimes robins will re-use it so I don't want to put them off.

[Chuckles]

Checked out my nest on the shelf in the shed. It had 5 eggs in it just before I went on my hols. They must have hatched out and flown only one egg remained so they must have had 4 babies. Shame I missed seeing them. The pair of Robins are still about but I've not seen a sign of youngsters.

[Plocket]

It's sad in a way isn't it? We haven't seen the babies from our nest either, but one robin has continued visiting the garden, and this morning I saw two. Unfortunately I couldn't work out whether the second one was being scared off or flirted with!